Pocket repair construction and method



Jan. 5 1965 w. c. HALCOMB ,1

POCKET REPAIR cous'raucnou AND METHOD A I Filed Jan. 10, 1962 .4 770/? NEY5.

United States Patent 3,163,867 POCKET RillAIR CGNSTRUCTiON AND METHOD Walter C. Haleornh, Harrisonviile, Mm, assignor to .Eifiy Enterprises, Inc, a corporation of Missouri Filed Jan. 10, 1%2, Ser. No. 165,437 3 Claims. (61. 2-2-t3) This invention relates generally to garment repair items which are adapted to be applied by the use of a heated iron, and refers more particularly to improved structure of this type and a method for quickly and easily repairing worn or damaged pockets in garments.

One of the most irritating results of carrying loose change, keys, cigarette lighters or the like in garment pockets is the fact that holes usually develop while the garment as a whole is still in good serviceable condition. Home repair-of pockets is a dificult, tedious job, and many times the outcome is unsatisfactory. Rough, unfinished fabric edges develop, the pocket is made irregu lar, or the stitches are not made sufficiently strong. The other alternative, which is to employ a skilled artisan to completely replace or rebuild the pocket, involves expense and effort out of proportion to the nature of the repair.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a pocket repair assembly which can be applied and secured to the damaged pocket with a standard household pressing iron, and which, once secured in place, provides a repaired pocket which is neat and trim and capable of withstanding rugged use and repeated washings or cleanings without degradation thereof.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an assembly of the character described which is so constructed that it can be easily applied to pockets of different size, while still obtaining a neat, workmanlike job.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pocket repair assembly which is so constituted that'when properly assembled with the worn or damaged pocket, it, in effect, provides a reconstructed pocket having strength at least equal to, if not greater than the original.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of repairing worn or damaged pockets which can be easily practiced by any housewife, and which results in a highly effective repaired pocket.

Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of the instant specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various views;

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of the inside of a typical garment showing a worn pocket therein in side elevation;

FIG. 2 is a similar View showing the lower portion of a pocket in an initial phase of the repair operation;

FIG. 3 is a view showing the next step in the repair operation and illustrating one of the components of the repair assembly;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a further step in the repair operation;

FIG. 5 is a view showing still a further step in the line 7-7 of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows, thebreak lines indicating interrupted length; and

FIG. 8 is a greatly enlarged cross section taken through a section of the fabric coated with the heat, bendable adhesive.

Referring to the drawing, both the method of the in vention and the unique repair pocket structure will be described in conjunction with a description of the procedure involved in repairing a typical pocket 14 which is attached to the garment 11 and is damaged by a Worn hole 12 at a lower corner, all as shown in FIG. 1.

The initial step in the repair consists in severing from the pocket 10 the lower portion liia thereof, as by the scissors cut 13 shown partially completed in FIG. 2. This removes from the pocket the damaged area, and at the same time provides the severed edge of the remaining structure of the pocket with a smooth, unjagged quality.

Following the cutting step of FIG. 2, there is then placed in the position of FIG. 3 a specially constructed envelope 14, the composition and make-up of which will now be described.

The envelope 14 is constructed essentially from an elongate sheet of good quality, fairly tightly woven fabric, having sufficient strength as to serve as a pocket material. Any fabric suitable for construction of the original pocket may be employed. The sheet is folded at its longitudinal midpoint to provide the two similar flaps or plies 14a, 14b joined by the fold 14c which forms one closed edge of the envelope. An adjacent closed edge running lengthwise is provided by the stitching 14d.

The remaining two edges of the envelope are open priorto application to the pocket so as to permit the envelope to be sleeved upwardly over the lower severed edge of the pocket, asshown in FIG. 3, with the upper portions of the opposite plies or flaps of the envelope on the exterior of and adjacent the opposed panels of the pocket. It is important to the invention that the length of the envelope 34 in the direction of the lower edge 14d be at least equal to the width of the pocket. In actual practice, and for reasons which will subsequently appear, the envelope, when manufactured, is given a length such that the open end will extend beyond the widest pocket present in conventional garments when the envelope is assembled with the pocket in the position shown in FIG. 3. Also, the stitched lower edge is preferably curved upwardly toward the open end to conform generally to the conventional pocket outline as originally constructed.

It will be observed, again from FIG. 3, that the flaps 14a, 14b of the envelope are each provided adjacent the upper edge with inner marginal strips 15a,

adhesives may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will be noted that the polyethylene is applied in the form of a coating or layer which is interrupted by a uniform pattern of perforations. The per- 7 forated strip can most easily be joined with the fabric by taking a film of polyethylene suitably perforated and V dimensioned, placing it in contact with the fabric, and applying sufiicient heat and pressure as to cause the film to bond to the fabric, after which it is permitted to cool.

The thickness of the film should be in the range of 2 to 3 mils with the perforations spaced in a pattern of approximately 44 per square inch, the diameter of the perforations being .045 inch. The polyethylene composition should be selected from those which fall in a density Patented Jan. 5,1965

15b of p a heat sensitive adhesive which is bonded to the envelope Q range of from 0.913 to 0.925 gram per cubic centimeter, and a melt index range of 4 to 25.

Returning now to FIG. 3 and continuing with the dedescriptionof the repair procedure, once the envelope is positioned with the strips 15a, 15b adjacent the side panels of the pocket and the closed end or fold 14c disposed to form a continuation of the left-hand vertical edge of the pocket, as shown, the assembly is laid on a suitable pressing surface and a heated iron (heated to 275-400 F. in the case of cotton) is applied lightly to the strip zone and held there until the strips are bonded to the pocket side panels. This usually takes no longer han seconds. Upon removal of the iron, the polyethylene will set and the envelope will be secured along the strips 15a, 15b to the pocket structure.

Next, that portion of the envelope 14 extending beyond the right hand side edge of the pocket is trimmed away as shown by the incomplete cut line of FIG. 4. When the extending portion has been removed, a rectangular closure sheet 21, having a bonding surface 21a of the heat sensitive bonding material, is folded over the right hand end of the envelope, as shown in FIG. 5. While maintaining the closure'flap 21 in position, that is, with approximately equal portions on opposite sides of the fold, the iron is again applied to cause the closure 21 to bond firmly to the envelope. Once this has been completed, any extra portion of the closure flap 21 extending below the lower edge of the repaired pocket should be trimmedaway with scissors. The repaired pocket is now ready for use.

The closure flap 21 is preferably made of the same fabric as the envelope 14, and has one complete face thereof covered with the perforated polyethylene film 210. FIG. 8 shows a portion of this closure in greatly enlarged cross section, perforations being seen at 21b.

The number, size and distribution of the perforations is as described in connection with the strips 15a, 15b of the envelope. The strip is given a length such that it normally is greater than the vertical dimension of the envelope 14, as may best be seen in FIG.-5. This per,- mits the closure flap to be used with different size pockets, final trimming bringing the repaired pocket tothe configuration of the original.

' From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which areinherent to the structure and method.

It will be understood that certain features and subcorn- I binations are of utility and may beemployed without reference to otherfeatures and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

a two ply fabric envelope open on two adjacent edges with strips of heat softenable adhesive bonded to the opposite plies inside and adjacent one of said edges, and a foldable closure member comprising a sheet of fabric also having bonded thereto on one face a coating of heat softenable adhesive, said closure member adapted to be folded across the other of said edges to close same with the adhesive in contact with the outer faces of said envelope.

2. For use in combination with a damaged garment pocket having parallel side panels joined along their opposite edges but open at the lower end, a repairassembly comprising a two ply fabric envelope open on two adjacent edges, said envelope having a length in the direction of one of said edges no less than the width of said pocket between the side edges thereof and adapted to enclose the lower portion of said pocket with marginal portions of the plies of the envelope adjacent said one edge covering and outside the lower portions of said panels adjacent said lower end, said one open edge disposed transversely across's aid pocket, said other open edge of said envelope being adjacent one side edge of said panel, strips of heat bondable adhesive secured to the inside surfaces of said marginal portions of said plies adjacent said one edge and adapted to contact and be heat'bonded to said panels whereby to secure the envelope to the pocket, and a fabric closure member for folding over said other open edge of said envelope, said closure member having heat bondable adhesive adhered thereto on the folded portions which contact with said envelope whereby to permit bonding of the closure member to the envelope by heat to complete the repaired pocket.

3. The method .of repairing a garment pocket comprising the steps of severing the lower portion of said pocket from the main body of the pocket, sleeving one edge of a fabric envelope open on two edges up over the remainder of the main body, said envelope having heat As many possible embodiments may bemade of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, his to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative andnot in'a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim: l. A two component repair pocket assembly comprising bondable adhesive strips adhered thereto adjacent said one edge positioned to contact the main body across the width of the pocket, applying heat and pressure to said strips tocause said adhesive to bond to said main body, closing said otheredge by folding thereover a closure member having heat bondable adhesive on the inside face of the fold, and securing said closure member to said envelope by application of heat and pressure to said closure member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 13, 1957 

2. FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH A DAMAGED GARMENT POCKET HAVING PARALLEL SIDE PANELS JOINED ALONG THEIR OPPOSITE EDGES BUT OPEN AT THE LOWER END, A REPAIR ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A TWO PLY FABRIC ENVELOPE OPEN ON TWO ADJACENT EDGES, SAID ENVELOPE HAVING A LENGTH IN THE DIRECTION OF ONE OF SAID EDGES NO LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID POCKET BETWEEN THE SIDE EDGES THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID POCKET WITH MARGINAL PORTIONS OF THE PLIES OF THE ENVELOPE ADJACENT SAID ONE EDGE COVERING AND OUTSIDE THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID PANELS ADJACENT SAID LOWER END, SAID ONE OPEN EDGE DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID POCKET, SAID OTHER OPEN EDGE OF SAID ENVELOPE BEING ADJACENT ONE SIDE EDGE OF SAID PANEL, STRIPS OF HEAT 